Tools, both electrically powered and air powered, such as sanders, drills, saws and the like, are widely used in both industrial and consumer applications. It is generally known that prolonged usage of power tools may cause discomfort and fatigue.
More specifically, pressure and vibration from power tools may lead to discomfort in the operator's hands and wrist.
Cushioned gloves have been used in an attempt to address the above-identified issues. However, the pressure caused by exerting a force on the power tool still results in discomfort to the hand and wrist. An additional disadvantage of cushioned gloves is that their use reduces grip strength.
Tool balancers are helpful in reducing the overall effective tool weight. A disadvantage of tool balancers is that they cannot be used in certain situations. For example, a part being processed may be in a location that is beyond the effective reach of the power tool mounted on a tool balancer. Another disadvantage of tool balancers is that they are expensive to install and are not readily available to all operators.
Ergonomic features, e.g., tool handles, have also been used. However, ergonomic tools do not necessarily provide a useful advantage to all users. Hand sizes vary and an ergonomic tool may become uncomfortable if the physical characteristics of a particular operator are not within the design range of the ergonomic tool.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with the present disclosure as set forth below with reference to the drawings.